A Royal Discrepancy | Ayamiya

Chapter 4: Kyudō

"You do know Kyudō, I'm guessing?" she asks. Ayaka nods her head in agreement; being a princess means that she has to be highly skilled in all fields in preperation to assist her husband in Kingdom, Clan and State affairs. They get to the arena, where they show off their mastery and skill with the bow.

Ayaka goes first: her movements smooth yet graceful, serene yet sharp, a deep breath for each and every arrow, hitting the target perfectly in the middle. She smiles at her work. Then, it's Yoimiya's turn.

Grinning, she grabs her colorful customized bow and walks to her position. Ayaka was expecting traditional Kyudō from Yoimiya, but she should've known better, knowing Yoimiya's unconventional ways with everything she said and did. Yoimiya's style is playful and spirited, even a little extreme as Ayaka gasps when she flips into the air to launch another perfect arrow at the target. She constantly swaps the bow from hand to hand with every movement, yet effortlesly hitting the target with each shot. "Hehe," giggles Yoimiya. "You're surprised, aren't you?" she asks. "I- Yes! That was incredible, if a little extreme," replies Ayaka.

"Well, I chose the bow as my preferred weapon in battle, so it's only natural I perfect my ways of doing it. Learning the traditional style of Kyudo was the first step, and then came my own flair in how I wield the bow, so all the flips, spins and fluidity in my movements are just me using my free time to find new ways to use my bow!" she exclaims, clapping her hands together.

"Whoa, that's amazing!" replies Ayaka, genuinely in awe. "T-Thanks!" mutters Yoimiya, blushing at the praise. "Phew! I'm tired, wanna go grab some breakfast?" says Yoimiya, wiping off a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Sure!" replies Ayaka. The two go hand in hand to breakfast and get seated at the table.

Suddenly, Thoma walks in.

"Miya, Miyaaaa, where are you- Oh, Princess Ayaka, what are you doing here?" he says, calling out and then stopped in his tracks once he realizes Ayaka is there. "Hello there. I was just practicing Kyudō with your sister," she says, smiling softly. "Ahh, that makes sense," he says, grinning as he takes a seat next to her. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have beautiful eyes?" he asks. Ayaka giggles. 

He kept up a string of compliments, speaking playfully, just like Yoimiya, except Ayaka felt no emotion when he said them to her. After a couple minutes, Yoimiya speaks up. "Thoma, she can't accept your compliments when I've already made them! And much more poetically, if I should say so myself," she says, chuckling. Ayaka giggles at this, yet again, leaving Thoma a confused mess. "Have you two been meeting outside of our official meetings?" he asks. "Pfft, didn't Ayaka just say she was doing Kyudō with me? Besides, she's going to be my sister-in-law soon, so I better get to know her while I can, right?" says Yoimiya.

Ayaka felt her heart sink a little when Yoimiya says that: is she only her friend because her brother was betrothed to her? She brushes it off, however, because even if Yoimiya wasn't interested in her the way she was, atleast she could be close to her.

After breakfast, the two embark on a stroll together, and end up in Kannatsuka Park. "It's the season of sakura blooming! Come, let's watch together!" exclaims Yoimiya. The two hurry over to the seating areas, but it's already heavily crowded, so they decide to stand and watch the event. It was still a memorable event to watch, and they did, alongside thousands of Inazumans.

Ayaka watches the Sakura petals rushing through the air, and one lands on her haid. Yoimiya skips over. "Let me get that for ya!" she says, as she picks it out. It was a beautiful event, and it was even prettier watching it alongside the girl she liked. Ayaka's heart ached more looking at Yoimiya. They return home, and Yoimiya's mother asks where they were. "At the Sakura festival!" replies Yoimiya. 

"Ahh, that's lovely, but do make sure Ayaka spends time with your brother too. Miss Kamisato's orders," she replies. Yoimiya nods and takes ahold of Ayaka's hand. The two clamber into a carriage and talk in their way back to Ayaka's house. Once they reach the Kamisato residence, Yoimiya reaches her hand out to help Ayaka get out, and rings the doorbell.

Lumine opens the door. "Aww, look at them holding hands!" she thinks, giggling. Yoimiya realizes her hand is wrapped around Ayaka's and quickly lets go, before waving goodbye. Once Lumine and Ayaka are inside, she speaks. "Well, it seems it was a success, right, Ayaka?" she asks. "Oh no, I never told her of my romantic feelings..." Ayaka confessed. "Well, you've definitely made progress. The way I saw Yoimiya looking at you, eyes literally sparkling, I think it's mutual," she whispers, before leading Ayaka to her bedroom.

Back at the Nagonohara Residence

Yoimiya is in her pajamas, and is pacing quickly through her room. She questions the emotions she feels towards Ayaka. She certainly found the Kamisato Princess beautiful, both in her looks and personality. "Wait, what if me and Ayaka married instead of her and Thoma? I mean, it still unites our clans, which is the purpose, right?" she ponders, before going crimson at the thought of Ayaka in a wedding dress.

She needed to know what Thoma thought about this, first.

Did he really wish to marry Ayaka?

The Next Day

"Yo, big bro," says Yoimiya, tapping him on the shoulder. Thoma glances in her direction and goes back to gardening, before replying. "What is it, Miya?" he asks. "I- It would do you some good to have eye contact with the person you're speaking with, you know?! But anyways, do you actually like Princess Ayaka? Romantically, of course," she asks. Thoma instantly freezes and turns to look at her, slightly flushed. "W-Well, Miss Kamisato asked me to, so, yes?" he replies.

Notes:

Kyudō - The Japanese martial art of archery.